Needing the ability to offer large tracts to potential industrial customers, Jefferson Riverport International is adding a 162-acre site along Dixie Highway near Watson Lane to the business park in southwest Jefferson County.

Riverport officials are calling the land phase five of the industrial development that dates to the mid-1970s. The new property is the first non-contiguous tract beyond the roughly 2,000 acres that makes up the industrial site between the Greenbelt Highway and the Ohio River.

“This expansion demonstrates our recovering economy and bodes well for our residents who want to get back to work,” Mayor Greg Fischer said in prepared remarks.

Larry McFall, president of the Riverport Authority that runs the business park, said in an interview that the new land was purchased in recent months from several owners. It is under title to a Riverport affiliate, Station Development LLC.

Rebecca Fleischaker, a Fischer spokeswoman, said the total cost of the land was about $3.5 million, with the funds coming from Riverport reserves.

McFall said he can’t be certain that Riverport has lost any potential tenants because of a lack of large-tract land to offer. But he said that -- prior to the new addition -- only about 130 of the 2,000 acres remained undeveloped. The largest available plot left is about 25 acres. “There is a shortage of large lots” for development across Jefferson County, he said, adding that the addition may give Riverport a leg up over private competitors.

“Our research shows demand for more distribution and light-manufacturing facilities in the Metro Louisville area. We can be flexible with the development of this site,” McFall said.

The new site is about 2.5 miles from the Gene Snyder Freeway.

Jefferson Riverport International has 115 tenant companies and the park now encompasses 13 million square feet of space. It provides more than 6,500 jobs, Riverport officials said.

It has a Foreign-Trade Zone that offers financial incentives for importers and exporters.